Tag: AI

  • OPPO and OnePlus Predict AI-Focused Smartphones as Industry Trend

    OPPO and OnePlus Predict AI-Focused Smartphones as Industry Trend

    Oppo and OnePlus recently introduced the AI-powered ColorOS New Year Edition update. Liu Zuohu, OPPO's Senior Vice President and OnePlus founder, discussed the increasing importance of AI in mobile phones during an internal meeting. He highlighted that AI integration is not just a trend but a crucial industry development, projecting that other companies would likely follow suit in the next three months. A video obtained from Sina Technology revealed Liu Zuohu's insights and OnePlus's recent progress.

    Oppo's Investment in OnePlus for AI Advancement

    Oppo has disclosed plans to invest 10 billion Yuan in OnePlus to drive its AI advancements. They unveiled a self-trained gen AI model in September last year. Liu Zuohu emphasized OnePlus's impressive growth rates, notably experiencing a 40% year-on-year growth at the start of 2024. This growth aligns with OPPO's strategic investment in OnePlus, as announced during a dual-brand era declaration in 2022. By committing to inject 10 billion Yuan exclusively into OnePlus over the next three years, OPPO intends to strengthen OnePlus's technological progress, expand its channels, and enhance services.

    Emphasis on AI Strategy and Future Developments

    OPPO has placed a significant focus on AI, evident from the establishment of an AI center and a dedicated AI strategy conference in 2024. The company has even applied for trademarks such as "AndesGPT" and "AndesAI" for a new AI assistant last year. Liu Zuohu underlined that AI integration will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of mobile devices. Despite varying opinions in the industry regarding the practical importance of AI in smartphones, Liu Zuohu remains resolute in his belief in its transformative power.

    Future Outlook and Core Strategies

    Addressing doubts surrounding AI-centric smartphones, Liu Zuohu drew comparisons with Apple's expansion beyond its core products, indicating that embracing AI is an inevitable progression. He confidently predicted that skeptics would eventually adopt AI within three months as the industry trend solidifies. Looking forward, Liu Zuohu reiterated OnePlus's core strategy centered on product excellence and user satisfaction. He emphasized the company's dedication to innovation, striving to disrupt the industry with every product launch. While performance growth is significant, the primary focus remains on delivering exceptional products that resonate with consumers.

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  • Consumer AI Becomes the Focus of China’s Leading Tech Giants Alibaba and Baidu

    Consumer AI Becomes the Focus of China’s Leading Tech Giants Alibaba and Baidu

    China’s tech giants, Alibaba and Baidu, are leading the way in the development of consumer AI services. This is particularly notable considering that popular Western AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard are not accessible in China.

    Multiple AI Services Launched in China

    Alibaba’s marketplace, Taobao, recently introduced Duxiaoxiao, a digital assistant powered by Baidu’s AI, Ernie Bot. Duxiaoxiao is designed to adapt to shopper preferences, showcasing the growing trend of personalized digital services. The service gained significant popularity and generated sales within days of its launch.

    Another Chinese tech giant, Meituan, is making its mark with Wow, an AI service aimed at creating a virtual community of AI friends for the younger generation. While still in its early stages, Wow signifies a shift towards interactive, youth-oriented AI experiences.

    Expanding into Innovative Territories

    Chinese companies are investing heavily in AI development as they seek to expand beyond traditional sectors and venture into more innovative territories. However, these AI services currently represent only a small fraction of their overall revenue, which is still dominated by their core businesses.

    For example, Baidu offers access to its AI models at competitive prices and has even launched a subscription-based model for its advanced Ernie Bot 4.0. This subscription-based approach aligns with the global trend of AI services being offered on a subscription basis.

    Challenges and Uncertainty

    Despite the progress being made, there are challenges that come with developing AI services in China. The country’s stringent AI regulations could potentially hinder the growth and innovation of these services. Beijing has only approved a select few AI chatbots, and strict rules are in place. This uncertainty regarding the future landscape of AI endeavors in China could potentially limit the country’s ability to compete globally in the personal AI product market.

    Nevertheless, China’s commitment to AI innovation is evident. The push for advancements in AI technology within the country showcases its determination to play a significant role in the global tech scene.

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  • Man Killed After Deadly Robot Mistakes Him for Box, Raises Major Safety Concerns

    Man Killed After Deadly Robot Mistakes Him for Box, Raises Major Safety Concerns

    Deadly Robot Accident Raises Alarms About the Safety of AI-Powered Machines

    The popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technology is growing rapidly. While many people and companies see this as the future, others are concerned about the potential consequences. For many, the biggest fear is that AI will eventually turn against humanity and bring about our demise. It seems that these fears may be well-founded. In a recent incident in South Korea, a robot worker killed a man after mistaking him for a box. Here are the details…

    The tragedy occurred at a factory in Seoul, South Korea. The factory had been using robotic workers to reduce costs, as have many of their competitors. The industrial robot was tasked with lifting and stacking boxes of vegetables onto pallets. This helped the factory save time and money.

    However, the industrial robot malfunctioned and a technician from the manufacturer was called to the factory to repair it. While the technician was inspecting the robot, it pushed a transport belt towards the man. The man was crushed by the force of the belt, suffering serious injuries to his chest and face. He was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries.

    Dongseong Agricultural Export Complex, the owner of the facility, has said that they will do everything they can to ensure a safe working environment. The incident has also reignited the debate about the safety of robotic technology. Unfortunately, factories are already dangerous places. While there are advantages to using technology to speed up the workforce, the risks are clear.

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  • Alibaba CEO Aims to Transform E-Commerce Empire into an “Accessible Tech Platform”

    Alibaba CEO Aims to Transform E-Commerce Empire into an “Accessible Tech Platform”

    Alibaba, the renowned online shopping platform in China, is shifting its focus towards artificial intelligence (AI), according to the company’s new CEO, Eddie Wu. Alibaba aims to become the go-to destination for businesses seeking AI assistance.

    Alibaba’s New Strategy

    As part of its strategic shift, Alibaba is dividing itself into six units, which include e-commerce, cloud computing, and entertainment. Wu unveiled this ambitious plan during a conference attended by influential figures from the internet industry and government authorities. With Wu at the helm, Alibaba is determined to revolutionize its operations. While Alibaba is widely recognized for its popular shopping sites like Taobao, Wu firmly believes that AI holds the key to the future.

    Embracing AI

    Alibaba’s commitment to AI goes beyond mere rhetoric. The company has established a cloud service, akin to a vast digital storage space, which has gained significant traction in China’s AI landscape. Moreover, Alibaba has developed its own version of ChatGPT, a language model, named Tongyi Qianwen. This breakthrough marks an important milestone for Alibaba in the realm of AI.

    Wu envisions a future where AI permeates every aspect of our lives, whether at work or at home. Alibaba’s objective is to support businesses in adapting to these changes by leveraging AI technology. The company’s goal is not only to become a leading technology firm but also to enhance efficiency and convenience for everyone.

    As Alibaba embraces AI, it aims to provide a wide range of AI-powered services to businesses. These services can include personalized recommendations, intelligent customer service, and data analysis. By harnessing the potential of AI, Alibaba seeks to empower businesses with the tools and insights necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

    Pricing and Specifications

    Alibaba’s cloud computing service, which serves as a foundation for its AI endeavors, offers flexible pricing plans tailored to the specific needs of businesses. The service provides scalable storage and computing resources, enabling organizations to harness the power of AI without the burden of maintaining extensive infrastructure.

    Tongyi Qianwen, Alibaba’s proprietary language model, boasts advanced natural language processing capabilities. It is designed to facilitate seamless and intuitive interactions between humans and machines, making AI technology more accessible and user-friendly.

    As Alibaba continues to invest in AI research and development, the company remains committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions and services that drive innovation and transformation across industries.

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  • China’s Artificial Intelligence Industries Facing Shortage of AI Experts

    China’s Artificial Intelligence Industries Facing Shortage of AI Experts

    The Growing Talent Gap in China’s AI Industry

    In China, the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is facing a significant talent gap that could have a profound impact on its tech future. With five AI positions opening up for every two qualified candidates, the demand for AI experts is far outstripping the supply. This shortage of skilled professionals is garnering serious attention as Chinese tech giants race to develop their own smart tech solutions, such as ChatGPT.

    Chinese Tech Giants Compete for AI Experts

    Leading tech companies in China, including ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, are fiercely competing to attract AI experts. These companies are eager to be the first to introduce new AI tools to the market. Among them, ByteDance has been at the forefront, hiring the most AI professionals in the last three years.

    AI jobs have become highly coveted in China’s tech world, with companies like ByteDance and Meituan actively searching for top talent. However, the supply of skilled individuals falls short of the demand, posing a challenge for job seekers in a competitive job market.

    The allure of AI positions is further enhanced by the attractive salaries they offer. AI experts in China can earn more than double the average income of white-collar workers in Beijing. It’s worth noting that not all AI roles are in equal demand. Companies are particularly seeking individuals who possess the ability to develop AI systems that understand and process human language or enhance the capabilities of self-driving cars.

    One groundbreaking AI development that has sparked significant interest is ChatGPT, the chatbot created by OpenAI. Consequently, there is a premium on individuals who can develop similar technologies, commanding even higher salaries than other AI roles.

    While the hunt for AI talent is predominantly concentrated in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where approximately 80% of these jobs are located, it underscores the regional focus of the AI industry in China.

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  • 01.AI, a Chinese startup, establishes itself as a dominant force in AI with a $1 billion valuation

    01.AI, a Chinese startup, establishes itself as a dominant force in AI with a $1 billion valuation

    In a groundbreaking development in the realm of artificial intelligence, Chinese start-up 01.AI, founded by renowned computer scientist Lee Kai-fu, has achieved a staggering valuation of over US$1 billion after a successful funding round, supported notably by Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud unit.

    Revolutionary Open-Source AI Model

    At the core of 01.AI’s success is its revolutionary open-source AI model, Yi-34B. This foundational large language model (LLM) has outperformed leading counterparts, including Meta Platform’s Llama 2, in crucial metrics. Trained extensively on diverse datasets, Yi-34B excels in generating humanlike text, images, and code. The model is accessible to developers globally in both Chinese and English, empowering innovation across linguistic boundaries.

    The Visionary Behind 01.AI

    Lee Kai-fu, the visionary behind 01.AI, is not a newcomer to the tech scene. With a rich background encompassing Google, Microsoft, and Apple, Lee assembled a dedicated team for 01.AI, commencing operations in June. Under his leadership, the company has ventured into uncharted territory, competing head-to-head with tech giants like OpenAI, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta. Notably, Chinese tech titans such as Baidu and Alibaba have also entered the AI arena, with Alibaba supporting ventures like 01.AI.

    Despite challenges stemming from political tensions between the US and China impacting AI development, 01.AI has strategically navigated the landscape. The company smartly stockpiled advanced AI semiconductors, mitigating constraints on sales to Chinese customers. Looking ahead, 01.AI is working on a 100-billion-plus parameter model, benchmarked against OpenAI’s GPT-4, showcasing its commitment to pushing AI boundaries.

    01.AI has ambitious plans to expand beyond Chinese and English, aiming to provide AI solutions in more languages. Lee Kai-fu envisions AI as a transformative force for humanity and is dedicated to contributing significantly to its realization. Balancing his roles as a venture capitalist and 01.AI CEO, Lee’s dedication underscores the importance of bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical applications.

    01.AI’s remarkable growth and valuation underscore the global fascination and investments in AI technology. Their open-source approach not only propels their success but also democratizes access to advanced AI models, fostering innovation on a global scale.

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